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Kind of fits what we do here at the GSR:
Bad Bikers
Again I'm probably bitching to the wrong crowd... You guys are here reading this so you're clearly part of the group that likes to read about motorcycling and be informed?. well at least you can sympathize with my thoughts then.
In recent rants I have complained about people wearing fake dog tags and motorcycle jackets with fake road rash. In general I have a put up or shut attitude, this month my rant is again directed toward the ?fake biker?.
I had two experiences recently that really made me wonder (again) if there're more of them than us? First let me preface my thoughts by saying this, there is no such thing as a stupid question and I have always had a share the sport attitude, I'm willing to share what I know and if I don't know, well I'll say so instead of bull*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ting.
When I started riding I could barely change a set a plugs myself; but with time, dedication and by always trying to inform myself (ok and often out of financial need) I learned to fix most things myself and even enjoyed it.
The thing is either you head that route or you don't, but in my opinion motorcyclists should be informed, and understand how their machine functions at the very least. People who only want to ride are missing half or our sport. It's like owning a boat but never leaving shore. There is a segment of people who only want to ride but like I said I think its their loss and they are missing some of the great rewards of owning and wrenching. I often encourage riders who are not comfortable working on their newer machine to buy and older fixer upper to start wrenching on, that way when the strip a bolt or break something while learning the ropes it's not the end of the world.
What really drives me crazy is guys trying to play a role either you know about wrenching or you don't or you're learning their is no shame no matter what your skill level. I was troubled to overhear a conversation the other day at a shop... I listened to a sales guy wax on about that's the benefit of riding Honda's ?it's their four stroke engines that's why Hondas are so powerful and smooth and beat Harleys with there dated 2 stroke engines? and the guy he was talking to was eating it up.
Now last I checked every major bike manufacture is using four stroke engines and aside from the odd dirt bike their are hardly any 2 strokes on the market. The thing that's sad is they didn't know any better. We should all be comfortable with our knowledge level and be willing to learn I still learn new things about bike all the time the important thing is to keep an open mind and not be a know it all or a bullsh*ter. No matter when, at what age or why you joined the great sport of motorcycling it's our duty as enthusiasts to know the basics of our machines their systems and how they work.
Riding while knowing nothing about how the machine, below you functions is not a crime, it's dangerous and I find the people that are a little more involved with their machines enjoy riding that much more.
Again I'm probably bitching to the wrong crowd as you guys are here reading this your clearly part of the group that likes to read about motorcycling and be informed? well at least you can sympathize.
The next atrocity I saw was I young man walking out of a Harley dealership on a beautiful sunny day decked out in every imaginable piece of studded and HD logo embossed gear on his back, carrying not 1 but 2 bags full of t-shirts and other ?biker? paraphernalia.
He crossed the street and stood at the bus stop? (yes this really happened) now I'm assuming he owned no bike maybe I'm wrong but it was a beautiful sunny day and he was taking the bus, now there're many reasons you could come up with, like his bike was in the shop, or he lent it to a bro, or he was buying so much logo junk he had to take the bus because he could not carry it on the bike? but I digress really I think my assumption is probably correct he does not own a bike and he is the same kind of clown that would walk by one of my classic Hondas and call it Jap Junk, never even considering that maybe I own and have owned bikes of all types from Triumphs and Harley's to Hondas and Kawasaki's.
I guess sooner or later I'm going have to accept the fact that people are odd and many are very uninformed and always will be. As for the rest I'll consider you my motorcyclist enthusiast brothers and yes for the lady riders sisters! So no matter what you ride be informed on our sport and spread the word.
As I do every fall I will challenge our readers and customers to take on at least one bike project this winter, regardless of your skill level it's always a rewarding and learning experience? I still learn something new on every machine I do.
Happy Wrenching?
Keep it between the ditches and the shinny side up.
Bear
Bear
OldBikeBarn
Bad Bikers
Again I'm probably bitching to the wrong crowd... You guys are here reading this so you're clearly part of the group that likes to read about motorcycling and be informed?. well at least you can sympathize with my thoughts then.
In recent rants I have complained about people wearing fake dog tags and motorcycle jackets with fake road rash. In general I have a put up or shut attitude, this month my rant is again directed toward the ?fake biker?.
I had two experiences recently that really made me wonder (again) if there're more of them than us? First let me preface my thoughts by saying this, there is no such thing as a stupid question and I have always had a share the sport attitude, I'm willing to share what I know and if I don't know, well I'll say so instead of bull*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ting.
When I started riding I could barely change a set a plugs myself; but with time, dedication and by always trying to inform myself (ok and often out of financial need) I learned to fix most things myself and even enjoyed it.
The thing is either you head that route or you don't, but in my opinion motorcyclists should be informed, and understand how their machine functions at the very least. People who only want to ride are missing half or our sport. It's like owning a boat but never leaving shore. There is a segment of people who only want to ride but like I said I think its their loss and they are missing some of the great rewards of owning and wrenching. I often encourage riders who are not comfortable working on their newer machine to buy and older fixer upper to start wrenching on, that way when the strip a bolt or break something while learning the ropes it's not the end of the world.
What really drives me crazy is guys trying to play a role either you know about wrenching or you don't or you're learning their is no shame no matter what your skill level. I was troubled to overhear a conversation the other day at a shop... I listened to a sales guy wax on about that's the benefit of riding Honda's ?it's their four stroke engines that's why Hondas are so powerful and smooth and beat Harleys with there dated 2 stroke engines? and the guy he was talking to was eating it up.
Now last I checked every major bike manufacture is using four stroke engines and aside from the odd dirt bike their are hardly any 2 strokes on the market. The thing that's sad is they didn't know any better. We should all be comfortable with our knowledge level and be willing to learn I still learn new things about bike all the time the important thing is to keep an open mind and not be a know it all or a bullsh*ter. No matter when, at what age or why you joined the great sport of motorcycling it's our duty as enthusiasts to know the basics of our machines their systems and how they work.
Riding while knowing nothing about how the machine, below you functions is not a crime, it's dangerous and I find the people that are a little more involved with their machines enjoy riding that much more.
Again I'm probably bitching to the wrong crowd as you guys are here reading this your clearly part of the group that likes to read about motorcycling and be informed? well at least you can sympathize.
The next atrocity I saw was I young man walking out of a Harley dealership on a beautiful sunny day decked out in every imaginable piece of studded and HD logo embossed gear on his back, carrying not 1 but 2 bags full of t-shirts and other ?biker? paraphernalia.
He crossed the street and stood at the bus stop? (yes this really happened) now I'm assuming he owned no bike maybe I'm wrong but it was a beautiful sunny day and he was taking the bus, now there're many reasons you could come up with, like his bike was in the shop, or he lent it to a bro, or he was buying so much logo junk he had to take the bus because he could not carry it on the bike? but I digress really I think my assumption is probably correct he does not own a bike and he is the same kind of clown that would walk by one of my classic Hondas and call it Jap Junk, never even considering that maybe I own and have owned bikes of all types from Triumphs and Harley's to Hondas and Kawasaki's.
I guess sooner or later I'm going have to accept the fact that people are odd and many are very uninformed and always will be. As for the rest I'll consider you my motorcyclist enthusiast brothers and yes for the lady riders sisters! So no matter what you ride be informed on our sport and spread the word.
As I do every fall I will challenge our readers and customers to take on at least one bike project this winter, regardless of your skill level it's always a rewarding and learning experience? I still learn something new on every machine I do.
Happy Wrenching?
Keep it between the ditches and the shinny side up.
Bear
Bear
OldBikeBarn
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